Doctors to serve in Hela

THREE doctors, recipients of the Oil Search Foundation scholarhip, will serve their two-year residency programme at the Hela Provincial Hospital.
They are Tillah Mahite, Aidan Papaol and Ephraim Kavanagh.
The hospital has met the requirements such as having specialist doctors to train them and providing suitable accommodation.
Director of Clinical Services and acting chief executive officer of the hospital Dr Anthony Wal welcomed the placement of the doctors in Hela for the next two years.
“This is a major achievement for Hela and its Provincial Health Authority and shows the trust and confidence we have developed over a short period of time,” he said.

“A big thank you to our staff who have dedicated their time serving the people of Hela through the PHA.”
Stephanie Copus-Campbell, Oil Search Foundation’s executive director also welcomed the resident doctors.
“When we started to support the hospital through our extensive partnership, it was very challenging to attract doctors. We had to rely on foreign doctors and volunteers,” she said.
“We supported the PHA to consider a range of ways to attract PNG doctors to live and work in Hela including building accommodation.
“We also considered how, through our scholarship programme, to place residents. We hope they will come to love Hela, like we do, and want to stay or return.
“It is truly amazing to see how far Hela has progressed under the leadership of the board and management. It now has a full suite of specialists and the ability to support residents.”
She said the scholarship programme “fits within the broader vision of the foundation which is to contribute to the development of the next generation of Papua New Guinean leaders and improve social and economic outcomes for individuals and communities”.
The three doctors completed their Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Programme at the University of PNG’s School of Medicine and Health Science last year.